And we are seriously supposed to believe Kara's VW was less good than Pamela's last week?

foot was off the floor

Technically yes. Very unfortunate mistake as the routine was beyond fantastic, but Craig nailed it.

Pamela practically fell over and danced at half the speed with her neck in her shoulders. It was a good dance but Kara's was in a different league. To suddenly quibble about a foot off the floor with all the unpenalised illegal lifts this series is ridiculous.

Momentarily. There was no advantage gained by being off the floor. In the hubbub of the moment slim Kara came off the floor. Where there is no intent there is no crime.

3 years ago Brendan did a third, illegal lift. That was intentional and blatant. Craig needs a basic lesson in Jurisprudence 101.

Craig makes the odd error, but overall he's still the best judge - yes.

He's doing Kara a massive favour by under-marking her. Nothing generates support and motivates people to vote more!

I don't think Craig would have given Kara a 10 for that anyway, in all honesty.

Her Tango is one of the best dances I've ever seen on the programme... so if that wasn't four 10's I don't know what is.

Could not agree more!

I actually agree with his mark. It couldn't be a perfect 40 because her foot did come off his floor. (And I say this as a HUUUUGE Kara fan.) She still topped the leaderboard and has a strong chance of winning this show.

Pamela's was certainly over-scored but but Kara's did not capture the character of the dance. In the past competitors have been marked down for this.

Kara's was better than Pamela's.

Craig was correct in the foot and I'm surprised Len didn't pick up on it regarding how picky he usually is about lifts (unless he didn't see it). Let's not even speak about Aliona here. And Pamela was overmarked. For some reason the beeb really seem to want her in the final.

Last week was last week.

Craig said on ITT he was going to be pernickity and to be fair, he didnt score anyone a 10 tonight. Kara wasnt aware she had let a foot rise off the floor but Artem agreed with Craig, she did. So fair enough for me, even if the other judges denied seeing it.

Kara is my fabourite, but that doesnt mean I can't be realistic (unlike some fans ).

That Kara didn't get a 10 from Craig wasn't anything to do with lack of ability or a failure to capture the mood of the dance, it was due to an illegal lift in his eyes.

She was still miles better than Pamela was last week but I guess if Craig saw her break the rules then he had no choice but to penalise her.

I wish people wouldn't throw a hissy fit whenever a couple gets one or two less marks than they think they ought to get but still end up top of the leaderboard.

Craig has a history of questionable marking for this particular dance (giving Pamela & Ali 10s and Kara a 9), but I don't think it has ever changed anything (in leaderboard terms) and he is still the best/most consistent judge.

I think Len would have given it a 9 too, but he painted himself into a corner when he gave Pamela a 9. I thought her paso was meh.

There is no question that Craig is the best judge.

Alesha and Bruno give out stupidly high results to anyone and everyone and dole out tens far sooner than anyone deserves a ten
Len is too kind to lame ducks.

I have no problem with overmarking until it comes to 10s. The minute a dance gets a 10 it becomes iconic, especially a 40 dance. Pamela's VW will be remembered as an iconic dance as it got 40, but it was nowhere even close to Kara's imo.

Kara should have got 36 though as she did have her foot off the floor, but Pamela's won't be remembered with affection in years to come, it'll just be brought up on ITT for us all to tut!

The problem with docking Kara/Artem for the lift is that there were illegal lifts all over the shop in the first few weeks. So if she'd done that in the early weeks she'd have got away with it. Just a bit more inconsistency!

She was outstanding though!

^^^^^^^^^ he is the only judge who I trust.

Even if I wish he'd give Kara a damned 10 I still think Craig is the best judge.

agree with that completely.

Kara had both feet off the floor.

I thought also in the VW the couples are supposed to be in hold for the duration of the dance. Kara and Artem were dancing on their own for about 40% of the time.

Just to say to the OP the overmarking for Pam and James last week was a disgrace.

i did thnk kara and artem's tango was far superior to pam's number..
i do like craig the best for judging, and find him far more reliable and consistent

I'm sure Kara said something acknowledging that she did know too and that it had been a problem in training, but she'd tried hard not to let it happen. Something along those lines.

Kara is miles ahead of the others now, but I still want her to win fair and square.

Yes Craig is the best judge. He is the only honest one left now Len has gone to the dark side. And the chuckle brothers are wrecking my head. Craig is firm but mostly fair. His marking is consistant and fair and he is the only judge that isnt afraid to go below 7 for the 'favoured couples'.

And yes the foot was off the floor. It does matter. This makes it a lift which is illegal and she should have been docked a point for this. I hope the judges sort this issue out next year and start docking marking for illegal moves and lifts.

Because I for one am sick of watching tango steps in a foxtrot, quickstep in a foxtrot, AT steps in the tango, rumba and paso doble in the AS, samba in a salsa, disco in a samba backflips, cartwheels, spins. Not to mention the numerous benches, poles, chairs and opening doors. I'm half expecting a troupe of child dancers to come on stage and join the couples at some point ... oh for the aahhhhh factor of course. Please cut the BS strictly and stop ruining a perfectly good show.

As they were having problems during training, I wonder why Artem didn't take that particularly move out of the routine and substituted something else.

Anyway I thought it was beautiful and she thoroughly deserves to be at the top of the leader board.